Jul 31, 2018
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Cairo, Egypt
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With almost 120 years of presence in Egypt, the Seventh Day Adventist Church owns a very well-located building in the heart of the Old and great city of Cairo. It has been the desire of church leaders over the last 65 years to utilize the church for social and public service. Now, the Central Church is going to reopen the doors of the Ramses Cultural Center (RCC) after a complete renewal.
The RCC will be a center of human development, offering social and community educational services starting with three different programs: a language center (with emphasis in English); Healthy Lifestyle programs; and a daycare. Part of the Ramses Cultural Center vison is to be a reference to the people in its surroundings offering outstanding services. Its mission is to improve the quality of life Egyptians through educational services and healthy lifestyle programs based on Adventist principles.
The opening ceremony was held in the main auditorium of the center on Tuesday, July 31st. In attendance were church leaders from Egypt, the Adventist Church in the Middle East, and the Adventist Church’s World Headquarters. Ted Wilson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church headquarters, was the main speaker. Other local authorities were invited, such as Ahmad Al Tayeb, Sheikh from Al-Azhar Universityand several other government representatives.
Part of the opening ceremony was a site tour. Participants were shown all the infrastructure and activities that have been prepared to run the RCC. The programs were presented to the respective authorities in order to get all permits needed for its full operation after the inauguration at an opportune moment.
The renovation of the building officially started with the government approval in August of 2017, after more than two years of planning, research, and professional paper work under the leadership of Kleyton Feitosa, the former President of Adventist Church in the Egypt-Sudan Field.
This project has received the full support of the Seventh-day Adventist world church headquarters, Middle East and North Africa Union, and local leaders of the church. The financial resources came from generous donors who were willing to contribute for the expansion of the Adventist service in this country.
Pastor Ted N.C. Wilson – President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
“The newly renovated Ramsey Cultural Center is going to provide for an extraordinary fulfillment of Christs vision for his people working in the cities. In the Spirit of Prophecy we have many instances of how God’s people are to touch the hearts of others through simple methods. The Ramsey’s Cultural Center is going to touch people through tremendous health outreach, health education, potentially dental outreach, physical therapy and the activities of physical exercise. It’s going to touch the lives of many families through daycare center. Marvelous preparations have been made for the daycare center and how this will touch the hearts of many people. And of course the literacy center and language center. So many things that can be developed to reach the community and help people, not only physically and mentally and socially, but also spiritually. So we look forward to an enormous blessing in the Ramsey Square area, as well as the central part of Cairo, as this Ramsey Cultural Center becomes truly a center of influence for God.”
Pastor Rick McEdward – Middle East and North Africa Union president
“As a church we believe it is our duty to be a blessing to the community and to assist people to live fully. The opening of the Ramses Cultural Center is our way of fulfilling our values as an organization, by elevating the dignity of people and extending God love to all.”
Pastor Kleyton Feitosa – Egypt-Sudan Field former president
“The Ramses project is a true miracle of God. We have spent countless hours praying, thinking, strategizing and dialoguing to make this initiative a reality. My earnest desire is that the Rameses Cultural Center will make a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of people each year.”
Kheir Boutros – Middle East and North Africa Union associate treasurer
“The Ramses Center has always been an icon of the SDA Church in Egypt. It is a joy to see the Center being repurposed to serve the local community and bring such vibrancy to our society. This facility will be able to serve our community for years to come I am grateful for all those who made this possible.”
Samuel Britton – Ramses Cultural Center project manager
“We have seen God working in each and every detail since the very first meeting plan. I could ever imagine been working for Him in such challenging and great project. The Ramses Cultural Center represents the amazing plans God has for this country through the Adventists.
Center Church Historical Overview
The Center Church, as it was known, opened its doors officially in 1962. The land was purchased in 1953 under the leadership of Neil C. Wilson, former Seventh-day Adventist Church president, who served in Egypt for 14 years. Ted Wilson, the son of Neil Wilson, spent part of his childhood with his family in Egypt. Years later, he also has become a pastor and he is the current President of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
This house of prayer was built and operated on Biblical Principles. It is a spiritual home where members receive nourishment, enjoy Christian fellowship, and are empowered for service to others. The Center Church has always been a light house in the heart of Cairo driving people closer to God. Today, The Ramses Cultural Center is another step forward to deliver the Light of God’s love into the hearts of thousands of Egyptians.
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